


When I Think of You

by livefree_13



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Flirting, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, Long-distance relationships, M/M, Mutual Pining, adult souyo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 04:04:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17800727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livefree_13/pseuds/livefree_13
Summary: This is a short collection of drabbles I completed for Valentine's Day (none of them are thematic, sorry!). They were originally posted tomy tumblras responses to a Soft Sentence Starters writing prompt list and I figured I'd cross-post them here. I have a few more to complete, but just like my Souyowrimo 2018 prompts, each chapter is a singular piece you can either read or skip over.





	1. Until Friday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt request fill for [treya_barton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/treya_barton/works): “You keep staring at me instead of watching the film. What’s up?”
> 
> ****this one has some mild angst surrounding long-distance relationships

He’d tried to treat it like any ordinary day. He really had. Just an ordinary hot, late summers day in Inaba enjoyed with the people he loved - or, in this case, the _person_ he loved - and not another care in the world. He’d been doing well at it, so far.

Yosuke sniffed quietly in the seat next to him and leaned down to take a sip from their shared slushed cola. Yu’s attention was forced off the lively dark comedy they were viewing and onto Yosuke’s movements, his eyes lingering on the blue, flat light that caught in Yosuke’s chestnut hair before he righted himself in his seat. He tore his gaze away from him after a second, pretending he was still invested in the movie. But his mind continued to wander.

The movie was fun, inventive. He’d been the one to choose it, and Yosuke (being Yosuke) happily agreed. It had been a nice, relaxing afternoon spent with him and only him. Just the two of them lounging in Yu’s room, fooling around, reading together, and now an early evening movie. Ideal, really. It was made even more special by the fact that it was the first day in over a week the two of them had managed any time to themselves.

Because Yu was only down for the summer break and his time, as always, was precious. He’d be leaving in a few days, actually, now nearing the end of the month --

He sighed and shifted in his seat. He hadn’t realize how loud it must have been, because a second later Yosuke’s breath was in his ear.

“You okay?”

“Hm?” He was fine. He nodded and looked back at the movie.

His stomach felt funny. Maybe it was the icy drink; maybe he was coming down with something. His eyes flitted to Yosuke’s face, wary of disturbing his concentration but compelled to observe him regardless. It might have been a little strange, but looking at Yosuke’s face usually always soothed him. Except this time it didn’t - not even close.

Yosuke, perhaps feeling eyes on him, glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. For some reason, it didn’t occur to Yu to look away, which caused Yosuke to give him a concerned look and propose a silent question. Yu blinked and answered it immediately, quirking a forced smile and a slight nod. He looked back at the movie, a series of images and sounds he wasn’t absorbing and wouldn’t, as hard as he tried to.

Just a few more days, and then he’d have only dreams of this, of Yosuke’s softly styled hair and velvet brushed skin and lovingly attentive lips. He suddenly wanted to feel them against his skin again, maybe here, on his neck, where they’d been not hours ago. Soft and eager, making him feel like he’d won.

Yosuke’s eyebrows quirked up and he turned his head towards Yu again (who had failed to notice that his attention had yet again strayed from the film). Yosuke had a mischievous smirk on one side of his mouth until he met Yu’s eyes, and then it all disappeared and melted into an imploring gaze. A hint of resolve flashed across them.

With a meaningful frown, he stood up, and again without words, told Yu to follow him as he made his way toward the theatre stairs. Yu followed him guiltily, hoping the surrounding darkness was enough to cover the shame on his own cheeks. Yosuke put a hand on his shoulder as soon as they entered the small entrance hallway, slowing them both to a stop.

“You keep staring at me instead of watching the film. What’s up?” His voice was carefully low.

“I’m fine,” Yu tried to scoff with a smile, but he could tell right away that Yosuke wasn’t buying it.

But he had nothing to say, so he kept quiet, eyes downturned and roving over the worn pattern of Yosuke’s t-shirt. He knew it smelled nice and the thought made his insides burn with want.

Yosuke heaved a sigh and stepped closer. His hand fell from his shoulder and skated down Yu’s arm to grip his hand, his fingers curling into his palm and _pressing_. They didn’t touch much in public, not while out by themselves, so the motion snapped Yu out of his self-woven misery. Yosuke was looking at Yu patiently, but expectantly, as if he knew it was only a matter of time before his gaze wore down another of Yu’s old makeshift walls.

He wasn’t even looking at Yosuke in the eyes and he felt a fire on his face at the intensity of his stare. He shifted uncomfortably and reached out to grip Yosuke’s t-shirt around the area of his hip bone.

“I have to go back in three days.”

Yosuke heaved another sigh - this one fainter, sorrowful. “I know.”

“Today’s been a good day,” Yu continued. His eyes stung.

“Yeah it has,” Yosuke chuckled, but even that didn’t hold its usual sunshine. “Let’s not waste the rest of it dreading Friday.” He squeezed Yu’s hand.

Yu nodded, breathing deeply in an attempt to pack himself back up. Yosuke’s other hand found his chin and tilted it up to connect their eyes, thumb tracing his bottom lip until he leaned in and connected their mouths, as well. The gesture warmed him more than the summer heat they’d been surviving all season. Yu smiled against his lips, feeling his insides finally unwind themselves from the death grip around his heart, and squeezed Yosuke’s hand in return.

When they pulled apart, he mumbled, “Sorry,” as another guilty blush spread over his cheeks.

Yosuke winked and pinched his side (Yu gasped). “Don’t be, partner. I’ve been thinking about it, too . . . but you don’t ever have to hide that stuff from me, okay? If you’re feeling sad about it, I want you to say something.”

“I know,” he nodded, then caught himself. “Well, I’m _learning_ ,” he corrected.

Yosuke laughed. “It’s okay; we’re _both_ works in progress.” He tugged Yu by his hand until Yu was falling into him, their chests bumping. “Wanna go back to the movie?”

Yu hummed, dipping his head into the curve of Yosuke’s neck. “Or, we can make out behind the theatre.”

“Or, we can make out behind the theatre,” Yosuke agreed, letting out a pleased laugh when Yu sucked the skin of his neck between nibbly teeth.

Yu was the one to pull away and yank Yosuke (who gave a tiny yelp) toward the double doors and, approximately twenty steps later, the theatre exit. He walked Yosuke over a strip of grass, backed him up against the outside wall of the building, and pressed impassioned kisses to his jaw and neck, causing Yosuke to gasp and cling to him. _Let’s not waste the rest of it dreading Friday._

He traced his fingers up Yosuke’s bare back beneath his shirt and Yosuke responded by hooking his fingers in the belt loops of Yu’s shorts and pulling their hips to. Yu bit him, reveling in the small hiss he got in return. “Shit, partner . . .” he moaned.

And Yu - determined not to waste a single second - pulled back to devour Yosuke’s mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> supposed to be cute lovey story and just... totally failed LMAO


	2. The Late Shift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt request fill for anon: “I can’t imagine being anywhere but here with you.”

“I told you, dude,” Yosuke groaned, “you can go home now. It’s after nine already.” He heaved a stack of three boxes and dropped them on the floor near the opposite wall of the small storage room.

“But the backstock hasn’t been completely sorted,” Yu argued, scooting a box out of his way to get to another. They were covered in empty ones strewn about the backroom - quite a cramped space for a store the size of Junes, although this one in particular was only for a specific type of inventory. “These tiny t-shirts aren’t going to unbox themselves.”

Yosuke stopped tearing open another box and tried to hold back his laughter at watching Yu attempt to fold said shirts (ones made to fit a toddler). Yu was pretty shit at folding, Yosuke had discovered, although it was cute to watch him try. He finally couldn’t take it anymore and  _did_ laugh, throwing down his boxcutter and making his way over to Yu.

“Here, I’ll show you my trick,” Yosuke said, plucking the little shirt from his friend’s hands. He proceeded to tuck the collar of the shirt between his chin and chest, folding each sleeve inward and creating a vertical crease, and then flipping up the bottom of the shirt so that it met the collar and formed a perfectly folded square.  

“You did that so fast!” Yu said in astonishment, delicately taking the folded material back from Yosuke and marveling over it a little.

Yosuke wanted to laugh even harder at that, but his blush got in the way of making it convincing. “I-it’s no big deal, really,” he insisted, unable to hide how ridiculously flattered he was. He cleared his throat awkwardly and stepped over the spray of boxes back towards his side to continue unpacking the shipment.

“It’s clear you’ve been doing this quite a while, judging by how good you are at little things like that.” Yu reached up above his head to slide the shirt onto its shelf, then picked up a fresh one to attempt Yosuke’s trick.

“Uh … I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not, but I’ll take what I can get.” Yosuke finished slicing through the tape and opened the box flaps to find … more toddler t-shirts. Great. “Ugh,” he said in disgust. “Dude, this is going to take all night.”

“More t-shirts?”

“A whole box! Like we didn’t  _just_ unload three boxes of them.” Yosuke threw the box cutter on the shelf across from him and placed tired hands on his tired hips.

“Well, are they different designs, at least?”

“That’s not the point!”

Yu finished folding one of the t-shirts to his partial satisfaction and put it down to join Yosuke. They both stared over the box in a mix of dismay and resignation. Yu brought a hand up and patted Yosuke on the back a few times, hand coming to rest on his shoulder.

“We’ll get it done, Yosuke. I’ll help.”

Yosuke sighed, but Yu could tell right away that there was more to it than plain fatigue. Yosuke was overwhelmed, once again having been abandoned to tend to the grittier tasks with a part-time team he was unequipped to manage (who hadn’t volunteered to stay and help, who barely wanted to work their  _entire shift_ to begin with). Yu didn’t want to ruminate over it himself; if he became emotional thinking about it, he’d only be compromising his own usefulness.

“I can’t ask you to stay any later than you already have,” Yosuke mumbled, his voice thick with frustration.

Yu squeezed his shoulder and looked at him, causing Yosuke to cast his remorseful eyes back into his. “I can’t imagine being anywhere but here with you tonight, Yosuke. We leave together or we don’t leave at all.”

Yosuke quirked a tired ( _very_ tired, but  _very_ cute) smile at him, and had just enough energy left to roll his eyes. “You’re taking this a little  _too_ seriously, though, aren’t you?”

Maybe, but he couldn’t help it. Yosuke meant a lot to him and, as tired as he was, Yu couldn’t see himself actually sleeping knowing Yosuke was still by himself in this likely haunted stockroom unfolding toddler shirts after a long day at school.

He released his shoulder and patted his back again. “Come on, I’ll get us some drinks and we can take a short break and refresh ourselves.”

Yosuke wasn’t going to argue with that. He threw off his apron and dumped it in the freshly opened box. They both carefully navigated their way back to the entrance, trying not to disturb the piles of toddler clothes that lined the path. Yu opened the door and immediately jumped back (knocking right into poor Yosuke) when he was met with an imposing figure on the other side.

They both yelped before they registered the sight of Yosuke’s father.

“Dad, jeeze! You scared the crap out of us.”

Yu put a hand over his heart and tried to calm himself. He wasn’t normally this jumpy; maybe the stockroom really was haunted …

Mr. Hanamura laughed heartily but at least had the decency to look apologetic as he scratched the back of his head ( _like father, like son_ , Yu mused). “I didn’t realize you boys were still here. I’m glad I checked before leaving. You guys calling it a night?”

“Uh, no sir, we-”

“We were just taking a short break,” Yosuke interrupted. “We still have a  _loooot_ of inventory to unload.” Yosuke gestured behind them and his dad made a concerned and awestruck sound.

“You were planning on doing all that  _tonight_?”

Yu and Yosuke exchanged curious glances. “Y-yeah? I mean, it has to be done, right?” Yosuke asked, as if it were obvious.

His father scoffed. “Not a chance. There’s  _way_ too much merch for the two of you to handle alone - on a school night, no less. Come on, I’m taking you home.”

Mr. Hanamura waved both boys out of the stockroom and shut the door behind them, making sure it was locked before all three of them proceeded to the time card section, and then the main exit.

Yu and Yosuke trailed a few steps behind, guided by Mr. Hanamura as he checked the aisles and turned off unnecessary lights. Yosuke threw an appreciative arm over Yu’s shoulders, pulling him close. Yu glanced at him and even though Yosuke still looked beat, he looked … a little happier. It made Yu’s lethargic face perk up into a small smile, brief but sincere.

“I wish you boys would have told me,” came Mr. Hanamura’s voice from up ahead. “I would have sent you home hours ago.”

“Great timing, pops.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm gud at romance prompts
> 
> at least mr. hanamura showed up and gave me a chance to write a character that wasn't yosuke or yu for about seven minutes.


	3. Study Session

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt request fill for anon: “No, sorry, you laughed. I … I never saw it before. It’s — pretty.”

Yu Narukami had quickly grown fond of Inaba and every small delight it had to offer. He even liked attending Yasogami High - a drastic change from the looming, overcrowded school buildings he was used to wandering back in Tokyo and other cities. Yasogami’s  _library_ however, was a different story. In the room’s defense, it was perfectly sized for the school itself and remained quaint and charming (albeit cramped). But it had less than half the variety he preferred. He supposed he was a little bit spoiled on that aspect of Tokyo, admittedly, as he’d never run out of books to read up to the day he left the city behind.

But, as far as using it to simply study, his high school’s library served his purposes just fine. It was rainy today, yet the library seemed mostly empty, with a group of third years near the back muttering to themselves over their upcoming exam notes. He and Yosuke practically had the whole place to themselves. Yosuke didn’t seem to care where they sat so he chose a quieter spot near a window - a table meant just for two. Yu hoped ( _desperately_ ) that it was secluded enough for the two of them to concentrate without any distractions.

Yosuke had been the one to approach  _him_ after class asking to study, but Yu had the sneaking suspicion that it would be difficult to get through even one of their lessons together without the topic straying onto more pertinent matters, like the one currently hanging over all their heads. It was worth a shot, though; he hadn’t yet had the opportunity to sit one-on-one with Yosuke in a school environment and get a feel for how he approached his schoolwork (other than with great reluctance).

It also might be a good opportunity to get closer with him. He was trying his best to get to know all his new friends, but Yosuke seemed special almost from the very first day they met. Already, he was a trusted confidant and reliable teammate, and was fast becoming the closest friend Yu had ever made. That wasn’t saying much, but that just meant this was much scarier for him.

Yu quickly chose the seat that faced out towards the rest of the library so that Yosuke would be forced to focus on his friend sitting across from him. He was glad that their table was placed next to a window that overlooked the roiling storm clouds and pattering rain since he’d always found that served as nice background noise to his studies.

“What do you want to start on first?”

“Ugh,” Yosuke said as he sat. “Whatever’s the easiest. How about history?”

“History, really?” Yu asked with a surprised smile.

Yosuke sneered at him. “Not if you’re gonna make fun of me for it. Math, then.”

Yu smirked. “I  _wasn’t_ making fun of you, but math it is.”

This should be interesting. They both pulled out their math books and flipped to their most recent lesson, which Yu reminded Yosuke was page 78.

“You want to start on the review problems and see how far we get?” There were only ten in all; shouldn’t take him long to get through them. Yosuke seemed less than thrilled about that proposition, but he knew he didn’t struggle as hard in math so he didn’t let his friend’s mopiness change his mind.

They started quickly and fell into a comfortable silence, the only sounds outside of the brush of rain over the window being the soft scratch of their pencils over paper. For all his whining, Yosuke seemed to be doing fine so far. He bit his bottom lip as he worked, which Yu found much too cute for sitting so close to him. But Yosuke was cute all around, wasn’t he, Yu remembered. He had long ago come to terms with that. It may or may not have been partially why he was interested in getting to know Yosuke at their current breakneck pace. Yosuke was cute, and Yu had never really thought that about anyone else before. Yosuke also seemed to rely on him, and Yu had never really thought he’d ever want that, either, to be counted on and trusted.  

He was watching how the soft overhead lights reflected off the brunet’s hair and cheekbones (and traitorously not working on his own formulas), when Yosuke did something Yu had never seen him do before - he threaded his hand into the left side of his hair and began twirling the strands around his index finger. Yu tilted his head in fascination. When Yosuke finished with a strand, he released it, combed it a few times, and then started again. He did it three times … four … until Yu realized with a start that Yosuke was almost done and he’d gotten through precisely  _one_ math problem.

Yu basically flew into action, which caused Yosuke to look up with a chuckle. “You okay, partner?”

“Yeah,” he cleared his throat. “Yeah, sorry. Lost in thought for a minute, I guess.”

Yosuke let his arm drop to the table with a thud and looked at him in offense. “I thought  _I_ was the resident spacecase.”

Yu chuckled. “Don’t worry, you still are.”  
  
“Hey, I was  _joking_!”

“Shhhhhh,” Yu held up his finger over a wide grin.

“If anything,  _Chie’s_ the spacecase.”

“ _Shhhh!_ ” He was trying not to chuckle anymore, but it was too late, not helped by the fact that he was still recovering from his embarrassment at being caught staring. He dropped his pencil and shielded his eyes from view as he got it out. He just hoped he wasn’t disturbing the students across the room.

When he looked up with a face he could  _feel_ was too red (faint chuckles still tumbling out), Yosuke was giving him a curious look. “… What?” Yu asked, a little self-conscious. He retrieved his pencil.

Yosuke blinked and shook his head. “Uh, no sorry, you laughed. I … I never heard it like that before,” he said quietly, demurely, also picking his pencil back up. Yu blinked. “It’s —  _pretty_.” Yosuke had been smiling when he said that, cheeks dusted a faint rose - but then his face went utterly pale. He dropped his pencil and looked down slowly, back to his notebook, and put his hand up in a “visor” shape to cover his eyes. “Oh my god …” Yu could hear him muttering to himself.

Yu, meanwhile, could only stare in astonishment. “ _Pretty_?” His pencil scattered over his notebook.

“Sh-shut up, pretend I didn’t say anything, I-I don’t think that, okay?!” Yosuke panicked, looking up at him with a horrified expression.

Yu’s face fell. “You … you don’t?”

The shift from pure terror to regret on Yosuke’s face would have impressed a seasoned movie director it was so riveting. Everything Yosuke felt and thought flashed over his face when you paid attention - and Yu was always paying attention. “N-no, that’s not what I mean, uh …” He looked at Yu some more, while simultaneously trying  _not_ to, which Yu noticed because he kept trying to look at his own workbook, or out of the window, or anywhere else but Yu’s magnetic face. “Just.  _Please_ don’t tell anyone else I said that, okay?”

Yosuke was blushing furiously now, and Yu’s mouth softened into a sympathetic smile. He realized, quite gently, that he was doomed.

“Sure. It’ll be our secret.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sure you've all noticed by now that i can't seem to write the exact line the way it was given to me LOL please note that i continue to struggle with this for the rest of these fills, thank you.


	4. Green and Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt request fill for anon: "I never noticed your eyes were this [colour]"
> 
> ****this one has some crude language regarding Boy Stuff

Yu Narukami was extraordinary. This was a simple fact. When he wasn’t impressing his teachers, he was impressing his fellow classmates - or the neighborhood shop owners, the housewives, Yosuke Hanamura’s  _own_ father and store manager of Junes, humanoid creatures from another world. Literally everyone Yu spent more than a few moments with managed to come away star-struck, mystified by his equanimity, his city flair, and his good heart. Any way you sliced it, Yu Narukami was a measure of worth - one Yosuke used to determine his own at the drop of a hat. Yosuke imagined he wasn’t the only one, but it sometimes felt like it.

He wasn’t quite sure it was all jealousy. Yosuke had struggled with that feeling all his young life so he was well familiar with it, and this felt different. Maybe it was exacerbated by the fact that Yu was truly his friend and he truly cared about him, was proud of him, wanted to see him happy, and felt guilty he idolized him so much. Maybe Yu made Yosuke realize for the first time that he hadn’t been trying as hard as he should have, wasn’t all he was supposed to be, because Yu was so  _up there_  and Yosuke felt like a toddler on a stool that was still too short to reach the cookie jar.

… Maybe … maybe it was because Yu was causing him to feel things he thought he’d figured out, spreading a fire where there hadn’t been one before. And he probably hated himself a little bit for that. Maybe he hated himself  _a lot_  - and felt guilty for that, too, because he knew Yu would be crushed if Yosuke told him something like that. Because Yu was … he was just a good person.

He was  _too_ good of a person. Much too good for Yosuke.

Yosuke hid that well, though, those churning feelings that lately hadn’t let him sleep through a full night. It surprised him how easy it was to lock them away when he spent time with him. (Was this what everyone felt like when they had a great secret? Like they could pack it all away inside a tiny wooden box and carry on like its splinters didn’t sting?) Yu didn’t seem to notice the difference in his laughs or jokes, or the types of questions Yosuke started asking him when they were alone - questions about girls, about their friends, questions about what he jerked off to that Yosuke  _prayed_ Yu didn’t judge him for.

He was crazy and he knew it; he was in deep and there was absolutely nothing Yosuke could do about it except flounder and cling to the tail end of his composure when a topic got too … personal. Or when Yu -  _extraordinarily stupid_ Yu Narukami - complimented him. That one wasn’t entirely fair, he’d insist to fate if he ever met her, because he didn’t receive compliments from people other than his parents and the occasional Junes shift manager. There was no preparing himself for all the  _feelings_ he got from them. It was awful and he loved it. He was hopeless.

Thus, he was wholly unequipped that afternoon as he and Yu walked home from school. They’d been in the TV world all day yesterday training now that Kanji was safely back in the real world, so today they carried on at an easy pace down the Samegawa, shoulders much lighter despite their books. The sun was getting warmer these last few weeks, but the weather remained perfect. One of those days that was breezy-but-not-too-breezy and the sky was the vividest blue and there were flowers on every bush. Like a postcard, but Yosuke had never seen postcards that looked like Inaba.

He caught Yu looking at him at one point and assumed he was trying to start a conversation.

“Hm? What’s up?”

Yu didn’t really respond, though, just continued to look at him as their shoes scuffed over the sidewalk. His lips parted.

Yosuke chose to stop walking. Yu staring at him like that was freaking him out (at the  _very_ least). “Uh, Yu? Hello. Earth to Yu.” He waved his hand in front of his eyes, but Yu made a face and stopped him, Yosuke’s wrist suddenly held in Yu’s hand.  _Oh no, okay. Please let go._

Yu gazed intently at him, until Yosuke really was about to rip his wrist free and step back because he was getting closer and  _woah_ his mouth. His  _mouth_ \- “I never noticed your eyes were this colorful,” he said.

“… What?”

“Your eyes. They’re not just brown like most peoples’. They have green and gold in them, too.” Yu let his wrist go but continued to give him (his eyes) his full attention, tilting his head as if to study them from a new angle.

Yosuke blinked - hard - and shook his head. “No they don’t,” he said dismissively, not realizing until after he’d said it how rude it probably was to say. “I-I mean … thanks, but I have no idea what you’re talking about, partner,” he laughed, pitifully.

Yu quirked a frown, easing back a little. “They are. I didn’t notice it until we got in the sunlight but … they’re beautiful.”

That was … odd. Yu had a strange look in his own eyes when he said that, almost plaintive, like there was a wish at the end of that sentence he didn’t finish making. Yosuke’s great secret stretched a claw from its box and tried to crawl up his throat, and while Yosuke was busy swallowing it down, he gazed back to appreciate Yu’s eyes, too, which he never got to do. Ever. They were like the sky, clear and brilliant. Ones he could look at for a while - a long, long while, without the need for anything else.

“Yours, too,” he said, through lips that barely moved and a voice that could barely be heard within the thick air between them.

Yu swallowed, leaned back a little more, which made Yosuke realize he’d been leaning forward without even the littlest effort. He caught himself and Yu put a hand on his arm to steady him before he stumbled, chuckling a little. But Yosuke did  _not_ feel like chuckling. He felt like fleeing down the bank of the Samegawa and trudging into the cold waters of the river and never stopping.

“Thanks,” Yu said simply. Then he gave him a small and warm smile.

Something in it, Yosuke wasn’t sure, but it immediately calmed him. Or moved him. Made the hungry feelings feel a little safer in its presence. Whatever, it didn’t make him feel like running anymore, and that was a start.

Yosuke would take it.

He looked down at Yu’s hand still on his arm, and despite himself, he reached up and looped his fingers around Yu’s fingers as if to remove them. But they stayed, brushing over the patterns in Yu’s skin, memorizing its firmness, the pull, the tiny grooves you could only see up close …

“Yosuke.” The word was so still and faint, yet it hit Yosuke like a sudden downpour - one drop, several, and then he was drenched.

He pulled Yu’s fingers off him finally, keeping his hold on them until their arms were down and if he’d held onto them any longer then it would have never stopped. He looked up at him again, unwise but inevitable. He didn’t know how long they stood there - had been standing there - when Yu spoke again, this time in a more normal voice.

“Are you hungry?” It was still soft, though, a little vulnerable. Yosuke wanted to hear it again.

He nodded, eyes still steadfastly staring into Yu’s pale ones.

Yu’s mouth grew serious, his jaw set and lips closed, like he was trying to keep himself under as much control as Yosuke wished he possessed himself. He leaned in, fingers finding Yosuke’s hand and squeezing it briefly, “I’ll make us something,” before letting go and continuing down the road.

Yosuke stood and breathed. He  _breathed_. Willed every raw nerve in his body to calm itself. His body was buzzing, his lips, his fingers, the skin where Yu had touched him. He felt light enough to fly and dizzy enough to sink to his knees. Yu. Extraordinary Yu.

His partner.  

“Yosuke!” Yu called from up ahead, and Yosuke shook his head, chuckling to himself, and raced to catch up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pretty sure every fic i've written has had something to do with them staring into each others eyes but you know what, i'm going down with that kink


	5. Set Reset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt request fill for [tasogarenohane](https://tasogarenohane.tumblr.com/): “[Suddenly feels around the bed to search for the other’s hand / body when they’re sleeping]”
> 
> ****wow some actual romance! this one has strong sexual innuendo, but it isn't explicit

It had been a  _long_ day, especially for the end of the week. He and Yu had both come home from their respective jobs late and forced down a quick store-bought dinner while barely even talking about their day - or anything, really; just the little things. They crawled into bed not long afterwards. Yosuke hadn’t even bothered getting into sleepwear, stripping down to his boxer-briefs and sliding between the warm sheets. He was almost asleep when he felt Yu crawl in behind him. His partner planted a gentle kiss on his neck and flicked the light, then the world outside of Yosuke’s eyelids went dark.

~~~

He was  _so_ tired, so he was even more confused when he woke up in the middle of the night, eyes blinking blearily against the faint light from the window. The room was utterly still and his body was saddled with the strange paralysis of R.E.M. He blinked some more and tried to remember why he woke up, recalling vague images and sounds that he suspected had been a dream. Too tired to do that for long, he closed his eyes, ready to plunge himself back into the warm river of sleep. Before he could get far, though, he heard Yu exhale softly and shift on the bed.

He opened his eyes again, blinking slowly. Yu had seemed really worn out when he got home today. He had only been a few minutes later than Yosuke, who had spent all day on his feet, first at Junes, and then making deliveries for the local courier service in order to have some extra money for groceries and the little household things they needed. His meager manager’s salary could just barely cover all their expenses, and Yu’s pay as a legal intern at the firm didn’t give them much overhead, either. The courier company was easy work and gave him the freedom he needed with a full time job to balance. The pay was inconsistent but he couldn’t say he’d ever been  _disappointed_ (it also gave him a chance to use his bike), so he worked there as often as he could.

But even as active a day as Yosuke had worked, Yu seemed even more tired from his own. Yu didn’t move around as much at his job, but Yosuke knew the work had to be taxing, considering the size of his eyebags. Yu was incredibly smart, and Yosuke always assumed super challenging work like “being a lawyer” would come just as easy to his partner as everything else had. Though he soon realized once Yu graduated and really started practicing that this assumption was … not quite the case. Yu had tried to explain it to him a few times, the kind of detail-oriented work that came with legal and the kind of political expectations that were placed on him now that his work ethic and skill had been exposed to the bigger partners. Yosuke didn’t think he needed the explanation - he  _got it_. And instead of trying to grasp the minutia, he focused on remaining the sympathetic and supportive partner he aimed to be.  

Or, he hoped he was. Maybe he should have asked Yu more about his day before they went to bed, though, get him to recall and expel the difficult parts before they followed him into sleep. Yosuke didn’t find his work stressful at all, usually.  _Paying the bills_  was stressful, but he didn’t know what that was like, to use so much of his energy on a single issue. At least … not since high school. And if Yu’s day was anything like  _that_? Jeeze …

Yosuke’s body, now rising out of the dregs of sleep, moved on its own, his arm reaching out behind him to grasp at Yu’s form. He was still sleeping. His hip barely moved when Yosuke placed his palm over it. Yosuke kept it there, thinking of him. He hoped he was building a good life for them, where Yu could be truly happy and free to be whatever he wanted. He had recently found himself wishing that Yu wouldn’t have gone down the legal path, but that was honestly because he was now seeing just  _how_ stressful the work was. He couldn’t comprehend doing something that wrung out his brain all day. Junes was busy, sure, with sometimes long hours; but it was easy work and he was great at it, and it didn’t feel even remotely the same as what Yu had to face at that office.

He knew Yu’s salary would increase, too, as time went on - another reason Yosuke felt so twisted up about it. Higher pay usually meant more responsibility, and if Yu was tired from just being an intern, then what would happen when he made Associate? Partner? Would he get that far? Or would he just … collapse? He wanted to support him, but not at the risk of his health.

He flinched when he felt skin over his skin. He turned his head slightly and saw Yu moving, his hand coming over the top of his.

“Yosuke?” Yu mumbled.

Yosuke scooted back until he was pressed up against him, taking Yu’s arm and wrapping it around his torso, pulling his hand up close to his chest and pressing kisses to Yu’s fingertips. Yu sighed and hugged him back, shifting their hips so they were aligned comfortably together. He, too, kissed him, across the nape of his neck, nose brushing his hair aside so he could get to his skin.

“Do you hate your job?” he squeaked, studying Yu’s long fingers and nervously twisting the ring Yosuke placed there three years ago.

Yu hummed curiously against his neck and kissed it again. “Not at all; I love my job. It’s just challenging.”

“Really? But you’re always so tired when you get home.”

Yu grunted. “The commute is murder, and some days are harder than others. But I enjoy the work. Why? Have I been distant?”

“No, no, nothing like that,” Yosuke rushed to assure him. “Just making sure, I guess. You seemed pretty tired today, and we didn’t get to talk much.”

Yu snorted, planting another kiss. “You were the one who seemed dead on his feet.”

“I was n-” he started to defend. “Okay, maybe I was … but you seemed  _way_ more tired, partner.”

“I think we both just had long weeks. But, I promise-” he pulled his head up from Yosuke’s neck and turned him on his back to look him in the eyes, “I will tell you if it ever becomes too much.”

The rest of his questions died on his tongue because Yosuke knew he would. It felt good to hear it, all the same. It felt  _really_ good. He nodded and Yu sealed their pact with a small kiss. Yu rolled him back onto his side and buried his face in his neck like before. Yosuke suspected they were both supposed to go back to sleep now, but Yu kept kissing him, over and over, until it became too much.

Yosuke chuckled and knocked back into him. “Cut it out, that tickles.”

“Tickles?” Yu asked, grabbing a bit of his earlobe between gentle teeth. He kissed it afterwards and dotted his neck with more kisses, all the way around to the front of his throat until Yosuke was, yet again, being rolled onto his back and squirming and laughing. He worked his way up Yosuke’s jaw and caught his lips, leading them through a lingering kiss that quieted the last bubbles of laughter in Yosuke’s chest.

Their lips broke apart with a smack and Yosuke eyed him suspiciously. “Well, maybe not ‘tickles’ exactly …”

Yu smirked and leaned down for another kiss. Yosuke reciprocated and threaded a hand through Yu’s hair, his thumb tracing the sharp edge of his jaw. His stomach quivered excitedly when Yu took that opportunity to crawl on top of him; Yosuke let out a muffled grunt and slotted their legs together.

The soft movements of their bodies quickly worked their magic, riling both men up into a blissful state of arousal, hot and heady, especially once they felt the effects of their grinding bulging between each other’s legs.

Yosuke moaned. “Shit …” and grabbed Yu’s lips again, forcing his mouth open needily. It had been a  _really_ long week.

“Sure you’re not too tired for this, partner?” Yu mumbled into Yosuke’s mouth.

Yosuke thrust their hips together. “Never.”

Yu moaned and thrust back. “Ngh … same here.”

Yosuke lost track of time as they pushed and pulled against each other with an unspoken urgency. Yu lost his shirt and Yosuke’s mouth nipped his skin wherever it could reach, biting hard over Yu’s collarbone and enjoying the hiss that brushed his ear. It was fast and desperate, and they both finished hard, heaving against each other for several, long minutes trying to catch their breath - and enjoying it, feeling their hearts pound beneath their hands, skin trembling and alive, one soul in two sets of bones.

Yosuke threw his arm over Yu’s shoulders, now thoroughly spent. He thought he was exhausted  _before_. He was still out of breath, but managed a chuckle at his own expense. Yu hummed into Yosuke’s skin and shifted, kissing lazy, sluggish kisses over his shoulder and up his neck.

“Nothing quite like a night with you to rejuvenate me,” he sighed.

Yosuke scoffed. “Speak for yourself. I’m more tired now than I was at dinner.”

Yu popped his head up and pecked him on the cheek. “Then let me kiss you back to sleep.” He started a line of kisses down his cheek towards his jaw, and Yosuke moaned.

“Nhn, I don’t wanna be kissed back to sleep,” he whined, already halfway there.

“Then what do you want?” Yu kept kissing him, downward and downward, until he reached his chest  and scattered it with more wet kisses.

“I wanna wake up,” Yosuke said, but he was fading fast.

“But it’s the middle of the night,” Yu tried to reason.

Yosuke made a frustrated little sound. “But  _you’re_  awake.”

“I told you. Being with you refreshes me.”

Yosuke blinked down at him a few times. Yu had stopped kissing him and was looking up innocently at him, his chin resting on his chest. “You really mean that?”

“Of course,” Yu answered, as if Yosuke had asked him quite the stupid question.

Yosuke blushed - he couldn’t believe he was  _still_ blushing over him after all these years - and quirked a tired smile. “You goofball.”

Yu maintained eye contact with him as he began another series of kisses over his chest, moving down over his abdomen, the dip between his ribs that ran towards his bellybutton.

“Don’t get too far down now. You’ll just get me all … _you know_ ,” Yosuke warned.

“I thought you  _wanted_ to wake up.” Yu said with a raised eyebrow.

Yosuke threw his arm over his eyes and laughed, then tucked it behind his head to support his neck as he peered downward at his partner. “Then have at it, you go-getter.”

Yu smirked in silent acceptance of the invitation and continued his trailing kisses. Yosuke closed his eyes and offered his body up to Yu’s warm lips and suckling mouth, instantly eager to feel the gentle pressure build within his body again, to feel Yu’s mouth bring him there. It didn’t matter that it was the middle of the night, and that Yosuke was half-dead with exhaustion. They had a slew of plans tomorrow - but only one plan tonight. Yosuke moaned when Yu hit his target, 60 hour week suddenly forgotten, the memory of Yu’s tired face sapped from his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally, romance! :D *jazz hands*


End file.
